Embodiments presented in this disclosure generally relate to human-computer interfaces and, more particularly, to techniques for filtering a list of data objects using filter icons.
Computer systems and computerized devices are increasingly a part of everyday life. At the same time, the amount of data being created and stored by these computers is rapidly increasing. While advancements in storage technology have made it possible to store massive amounts of data for a relatively low cost, these advancements have presented new challenges as well. One such challenge is that, as the amount of data grows, it is becoming increasingly difficult to effectively organize and present this data to users without overloading the users with information. For instance, a particular user may wish to view only a list of saved email messages within a portion of the file system, rather than the entire list of files in the file system. This challenge is particularly prevalent in shared environments (e.g., a content management system), where a substantial number of users can each create numerous data objects that may be accessible by the other users within the environment.
One technique for sorting through large numbers of data objects is for each user to manually create search queries specifying particular criteria describing data objects the user wishes to view. However, one disadvantage to such a technique is that creating search queries can be a time consuming process. For example, to view a list of saved email messages within a portion of a file system, the user would need to first determine a list of known file extensions used for saving email messages. Additionally, such a technique may not be suitable for less sophisticated users who are not familiar with various file extensions used for the storage of email messages or even the syntax of the query languages. Furthermore, even a properly crafted search for known file extensions may miss data objects were improperly labeled.